Dusty Saunders

Saunders: Root Sports should give Ryan Spilborghs booth experience

Is it time for an addition or change in the Rockies' broadcasting booth?

Ken Miller, Root Sports' executive producer, announced last spring the signing of former Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs to a TV contract.

Miller's public praise of "Spilly" bordered on the euphoric.

"Spilborghs is a broadcasting natural," Miller said, adding that he needed some experience. "We have major plans for him, probably in the game broadcasting booth down the line."

Perhaps "down the line" is now, as the stumbling Rockies are on the verge of producing the franchise's worst season ever.

Spilborghs, featured regularly in the Rockies' pregame and postgame shows, is justifying Miller's praise. Spilborghs has shown a deep knowledge of the game while seemingly biting his tongue as he strains to be critical.

A suggestion: Put Spilborghs into the game broadcasting booth before the season ends to give him experience under difficult circumstances.

I'm not advocating firing any of the current trio.

Drew Goodman remains a solid play-by-play man. And while I've never joined any George Frazier fan clubs, he has toned down needless chatter.

Jeff Huson? He knows baseball. But Huson too often sounds like a professor lecturing "Baseball 101" as a college course.

Huson needs to put more zip into his delivery and show a sense of humor when the occasion demands.

And it certainly would give him the needed experience that Miller talked about. Ratings roulette. While the Rockies haven't set the Nielsen audience ratings machines on fire, the season figures are basically on par with 2013 and slightly ahead of 2012 — both losing seasons.

Rockies executives refuse to divulge audience figures, saying their policy prohibits the release of such important information.

But Nielsen Media Research shows the games, through last week, have posted a 2.0 rating and a 7 audience share with viewers 18 and older.

In 2012, the season-long rating was 1.8 with a 6 share. Last season's figures: 1.9 rating and 7 share.

A rating is based on the total number of TV households in a given area. The share shows how many of those households are tuned to a particular program.

Such cable viewing always is minuscule, compared with ratings figures produced by the Broncos and popular prime time entertainment series like CBS's "NCIS" — broadcasts aired on over-the-air network television.

Also, Rockies telecasts on Root are aired at a variety of times ranging from noon to 8:30 p.m.

Such inconsistent scheduling is a detriment to cable rating charts.

Programing notes. Jim Rome, pulled from the local ESPN-105.5 FM talk schedule two weeks ago, returns to 1600 AM-The Zone (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) next Monday. Rome previously had a lengthy run on the station.

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